Friday, 1 May 2026

Trending Now: Emergency room visits for tick bites are at their highest levels in years

Must-read stories around major news events

Trending Now

May 1, 2:56 p.m. EDT

Emergency room visits for tick bites are at their highest levels in years

Hospitals are seeing an unusually early surge this spring, but there are easy ways to lower your risk of contracting tick-borne conditions like Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and alpha-gal syndrome.

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DOJ reports Biden admin anti-Christian discrimination

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FRIDAY, MAY 1 - FIRST FRIDAY DEVOTION

DOJ REPORT OUTLINES MASSIVE DISCRIMINATION UNDER BIDEN The Biden administration discriminated against Christians on a massive scale, targeting them everywhere from their churches to their workplaces, the Justice Department reports. The Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias found the Biden administration “generally tolerated religious beliefs that were privately held but zealously pursued actions to limit Christians’ ability to act in accordance with their faith.” READ

DEM SENATOR MOVES TO TORPEDO SCHOOL CHOICE TAX CREDIT Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., has introduced legislation to repeal the federal school-choice tax credit created under President Donald Trump’s 2025 “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act. Kelly claimed the credit takes money out of public schools, but school choice advocates pointed out that the program relies on voluntary private donations, not public school funds. READ

HOUSE VOTES TO FUND MUCH OF DHS THROUGH SEPTEMBER The House voted yesterday to fund much of the DHS through September, ending a record-breaking partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. READ

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO LIMIT BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP? Republican Sen. Rand Paul introduced a joint resolution yesterday proposing a constitutional amendment to restrict birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment. The amendment would limit automatic U.S. citizenship for children born in the country, making only those with at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident, or an active-duty member of the military eligible. READ

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM COMMISSION URGES TRUMP TO PRESS CHINA With President Donald Trump set to visit China on May 14, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is urging him to confront Chinese President Xi Jinping over the country's crackdown on religious communities, including the imprisonment of Jimmy Lai. READ

EXCLUSIVE: SERIES WILL WALK CATHOLICS THROUGH MASS Theologian Edward Sri spoke with Zeale News about how every element of the Mass is legible if only Catholics are given the tools to understand it. Many Catholics can recite and go through the motions of much of the Mass, but – if they're honest – can't explain clearly what much of it means. Sri is the host of a series that will open up the rich meaning of every moment of the Liturgy. READ

ANALYSIS: RACE-BASED DISTRICTS PROTECT POLITICIANS, NOT COMMUNITIES Conservative activist John Tillman says districts drawn to protect minority voters actually kept the same politicians in power for decades while their neighborhoods fell apart, and the Supreme Court's ruling against Louisiana's map could finally change that. READ

AD: PROTECT YOUR FAMILY A comprehensive online Catholic program equipping parents to protect their children from a culture working against their faith — covering sexuality, spiritual warfare, technology, gender confusion, and more — while also addressing the deeper healing every family needs. LEARN MORE

20 STATES ASK SCOTUS TO LET CATHOLIC CHURCH BUILD SHRINE A Kentucky Catholic parish was blocked from building a backyard-sized grotto on its own property after neighbors sued. Now, 20 state attorneys general are asking the Supreme Court to step in and protect religious land use rights nationwide. READ

UK LIBERALS ADMIT DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CHRISTIAN CANDIDATE The UK's Liberal Democrats admitted in court to multiple breaches of human rights and equality law after unlawfully removing a Christian parliamentary candidate from the 2024 general election ballot and replacing him with a rival who went on to win the seat. READ

NOT TO BE MISSED... Here are the stories we couldn’t fit in today’s LOOP:

The FDA announced this week that it is advancing real-time clinical trials to accelerate drug testing. READ
Trump yesterday nominated cancer specialist Dr. Nicole Saphier to serve as U.S. Surgeon General. READ
While the accused White House shooter remains in custody, Trump says the suspect was responsible for the wounding of an agent. READ

THE GODPARENT GUIDE FOR SACRAMENT SEASON From celebrating Baptism anniversaries to finding the perfect First Communion gift, this guide has everything godparents need to show up well for their godchild this spring. READ

CATHOLIC 101 The Church teaches that each home, in its own way, is a "Domestic Church," a small reflection of the larger Church where faith is lived, taught, and handed on. Every meal, bedtime blessing, and act of forgiveness is part of that mission. READ

SAINT OF THE DAY The feast of St. Joseph the Worker was established in 1955 by Pope Pius XII to present a Christian vision of labor in contrast to secular May Day celebrations. As a humble carpenter in Nazareth, St. Joseph provided for the Holy Family and offers us a model of dignity in ordinary work. READ

DAILY PSALM "You are my Son; this day I have begotten you." (Psalm 2) READ

DAILY READINGS Today's Mass readings. READ

FIRST FRIDAY DEVOTION Answer the call to pray for our nation this First Friday. Make reparation to the Sacred Heart for our sins—and join thousands of Catholics preparing for the America 250 consecration through Zeale. PRAY FOR AMERICA

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